


book criticism

by madnessiseverything



Series: the voicemails left by one klaus hargreeves [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Voicemail, a vague au where there is no looming apocalypse, but everything else is still p much the same, but this isnt the story where they do, i just want them to talk tbh, in a world where they have cellphones, post vanya's book, soon tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-07 00:40:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17950286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madnessiseverything/pseuds/madnessiseverything
Summary: “Vanyaaaaaa, seven, sister, hello!” Vanya frowns at the high-pitched greeting ringing from her shitty phone speakers. “I have your- uh, book!"the one where Klaus tries and fails to be open and Vanya hears it a few hours later.





	book criticism

**Author's Note:**

> welcome to the start of a drabble series called "klaus leaves voicemails and other people receive them", alternatively the series where i use the medium of voicemail to get klaus to talk to people. cause god knows, the hargreeves need to communicate. this plays in a nebulous au where they all have cellphones and there is no apocalypse, because i can. i hope you enjoy!

“Vanyaaaaaa, seven, sister, hello!” Vanya frowns at the high-pitched greeting ringing from her shitty phone speakers. “I have your- uh, book! I have it here. I finished it and I remembered that I still have your number - unless you changed it and then I am so sorry random person whose number this is. I hope it’s you, Vanya.”    


  
There is something off about his voice. Something more off than the usual Klaus. Vanya wonders if it’s just because she hasn’t spoken to him in so long, but her chest tightens with something she can’t quite place.    


  
“Anyways, the book! Great writing, nice sentences. Hah, love the way you shit on the old man. Someone had to say it, huh? Really - ah - really good.” Klaus huffs into the speaker and curses, further away from it. “I do have a question, especially regarding - regarding some stuff towards the, uh, end?”    


  
Vanya bites her lip at the uncertainty in Klaus’ voice and she thinks she knows which parts he means. His next words confirm it.    


  
“About my, well, as you call it, reckless and blind addiction. Which, ouch.”    


  
Vanya taps against her violin case, nervous energy thrumming through her. She doesn’t know if she wants to hear what he has to say.    


  
Klaus continues on, hurt now blending into his voice. “Shit, I know we treated you terribly and honestly? Power to you for the book. I know the others must hate it, what with the whole ‘giving the entire world a manual to all our secrets’, but you know… I like it. Let them all know the bullshit, right?”    


  
Vanya’s lips twitch. She isn’t surprised that Klaus is the one to tell her she didn’t fuck up everything. She pushes the little voice in her head, the one that tells her it’s just because Klaus fucked himself up worse, far away.    


  
“I just,” Klaus sighs in frustration and Vanya swallows, any trace of a smile gone. “You have some- some, hm. You could have made it sound less like I was- fuck this is stupid why did you let me do this Ben?”    
  


Vanya flinches, phone sliding across the table. Ben. She had assumed Klaus to be too fucked up to do his thing, remembers all to well the babbled explanations of drowning out the ghosts. She thinks about the way Klaus’ voice sounds just on the wrong side of off, and wonders.    
  


“Yeah, and why the fuck did we call? You remember what she wrote about you, why didn’t you stop me?”

  
Vanya stares at her phone, listening to an argument she could never hear the other side of. Klaus hasn’t been sober since they were 12, Vanya thinks, is certain of it. But then again, what does she know? They cut off all contact so long ago.    
  


“I’m gonna hang up, this is fucking dumb. Sorry, Vanya.” Vanya wipes at her eyes as Klaus’ voice stops. She locks her phone and stares at her hands.    


  
She should call back, talk to him. Ask him what he wanted to say, even if she has her assumptions. Ask him how he’s doing, talk about anything really. She looks at her phone and wonders if she should take the call as an olive branch. 

  
She doesn’t call him back.

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to drop by me and my friend's shared [tua tumblr](https://thedisasterandthedeadone.tumblr.com/) to yell with us about this show.


End file.
